50 years of Indo-German cooperation in science and technology
Event at GSI/FAIR celebrates international multidisciplinary exchange
29.05.2024 |
India and Germany have successfully cooperated in science and technology for a very long time. The collaboration between Bose and Einstein is just one of many renowned examples of how Indian and German scientists have achieved together major breakthroughs in knowledge. 50 years ago, Germany and India have signed a fundamental cooperation agreement formalizing and giving solid grounds to this cooperation. The cooperation has continued to flourish ever since. This anniversary has now been celebrated with a festive meeting at GSI/FAIR in Darmstadt. Supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the event on May 21 and 22, 2024 offered around 100 participants the opportunity to discuss and exchange ideas.
The aim of the event was to highlight the remarkable journey of partnership between India and Germany and at the same time showcase the progress of FAIR, the international accelerator center for research with antiprotons and ions, which is currently being built at GSI. India has been among the initiators and leaders of the FAIR project, and is the third largest shareholder of the new laboratory.
The participants were welcomed by Professor Paolo Giubellino, Scientific Managing Director of GSI/FAIR, Jörg Blaurock, Technical Managing Director of GSI/FAIR, Dr. Jens Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMBF, Erik Kurzweil, Federal Foreign Office, and His Excellency Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, Embassy of India in Berlin. With the support of the BMBF, the event was able to showcase the remarkable achievements and the rich diversity of the Indo-German cooperation in several fields. Various excursions and working groups offered the opportunity for intensive scientific exchange, culminating in a very lively interlink session in which the participants of the various working groups exchanged their different elaborations and conclusions. In a poster exhibition, participants learned about joint Indo-German projects and new opportunities for cooperation. A tour of the GSI/FAIR facility provided an insight into research on the campus and into the potential of the future facilities under construction. Finally, in a “Policy Talk”, the conclusions of the discussions were presented by Paolo Giubellino and the representatives of the working groups and commented by State Secretary Jens Brandenburg and Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, with contributions from many of the participants.
“It is an honor to host this anniversary event at GSI/FAIR,” said Giubellino. “India is a fundamental partner in our field of science, and a leading member of the FAIR project. Indian universities and research laboratories play a major role worldwide in nuclear physics, and the strong collaboration of both theoretical and experimental physicists from India and Germany has laid the foundations for our current research programs. We look forward to many more years of cooperation. On a personal note, I have collaborated with Indian scientists in my own research work for over 30 years, and this collaboration has been always very satisfactory, and the basis of my own results. ”
“FAIR is a unique testimony to the joint Indo-German efforts to push the technical boundaries, especially in the field of accelerator technology for scientific research, where the collaboration of institutions and industrial companies from India and Germany is a very important success factor which will continue based on the well-developed relationships,” added Blaurock. “Participants are invited to witness first-hand the innovative solutions to technical challenges and the joint effort shaping the common future.” (CP)
